The Ashes of Love
by reading and writing 4 life
Summary: Evangeline is falling apart. Julian's character is put to the test. Nicholas is contemplating his love for someone unexpected. Young Celine is starting to fall for the one who bakes her whatever she desires. And even Angelo, Alaina, and their two older siblings have problems of their own. Can they find what they're looking for? RIGHTS GO TO KEIRA CASS. SYOC OPEN! Please submit!
1. Writer's Note

**Hello readers,**

 **New story is on it's way and I'm very excited. It's a sequel to Choices and follows the life of Jeremy, Amanda, Katelyn, and Leo's kids. It's going to be different. The first story was told in first person and this one will be told in third. You don't have to have read the first story, but if you want a backstory to the parents feel free to do so. As a refresher: Jeremy and Katelyn are siblings, children of Maxon and America who will still be in this sequel. Jeremy falls in love with a maid (Amanda) and has Evangeline before marriage, which creates caos and a lot of hatred from the people of Illea. Katelyn gets married off to Leo, prince of Italy and falls in love with him. They adopt Amedeo and Ada, orphans that they find in the streets and later have two children, Angelo and Alaina. This stroy follows Evangeline's life and her siblings Julian, Nicholas (twin boys), Celine, Lilliana, and Kai. Julian is the crowned prince of Illea and I'm going to have a SYOC so please submit characters! I'm going to leave the castes because in this story the system was never taken out.**

 **Rules:**

 **1\. You can submit up to two characters.**

 **2\. Be CREATIVE, I love creativity**

 **3\. Submit under PM**

 **Form-**

 **Name:**

 **Caste:**

 **Appearance:**

 **Personality:**

 **Hobbies:**

 **Goal in the competition:**

 **Ideal date with prince:**

 **Other details:**

 **This story also follows the lives of Amedeo, Ada, Angelo, and Alaina, who are Katelyn and Leo's children like mentioned above.**

 **I hope you guys look forward to reading this, I will try my best to get the first chapter finished and up (I am working on it now). Don't forget to submit characters, thank you!**

 **-Bella**


	2. Broken Pieces

Chapter 1

Evangeline stood facing the mirrors in her closet, wearing one of the most glamorous dresses she had ever worn and yet didn't feel the slightest bit happy. Growing up in world where most people hated her wasn't easy. In fact, sometimes she found herself thinking it was impossible. The king and queen had tried everything to make her happy but she was sure that at this point they could tell she would never be. They had asked her what she wanted to do in the future; if she wanted to get married or have a selection? Frankly, the princess didn't think any man out there would sign up for her selection, so she simply said no. Her father had made arrangements to marry her off to Prince Alfred who lived in London with the royal family. He had been looking for a bride for several months and had been unlucky until King Jeremy's proposal had arrived. Evangeline new that something was off though, he seemed to not be interested in marrying her, simply couldn't wait for another potential bride any longer.

"This dress looks exquisite on you, your highness," Fern, the princess' designer said as she finished buttoning up her latest design. It was a pale blue dress with a sweetheart neckline and sleeves that hung low on her shoulders. It just barely touched the floor and Fern had paired it with white sandals that could just barely be seen under the light fabric. Evangeline was going to be wearing this the day she would meet Prince Alfred. He was visiting Illea for a few days to finalize the documentation of the marriage agreement.

"Thank you," Evangeline said softy, her eyes downcast. She didn't know what to expect from this man who was supposedly meant to steal her away from the home she had grown up in. Did she care though? Leaving. She had been tortured by her people, verbally abused to the point of depression. Her depression and anxiety had been diagnosed when she was thirteen. It hadn't gotten much better, although everyone knew she was most happiest with her younger brother Nicholas by her side. The king had sentences so many to their deaths because of their hatred and brutality towards the royal family; he simply could not stand people still feeling this remorse after twenty years. He worked so hard to defend his daughter but in her eyes he was working himself too hard for something that would never change.

There was a knock at the door, snapping Evangeline out of her thoughts. "Come in," Fern said as she stepped down from the wooden board and went to place a few pins into a clear box. Nicholas came in holding the same two books he always brought with him. _Luminous_ , a poetry book that was practically falling apart and his own journal.

"I come with good news," he bellowed happily. He flopped onto the bed, making himself comfortable. Some people might have thought he was the charming twin, but they would have been wrong. Nicholas was definitely the shy one, only opened up when comfortable; he was very different from his brother Julian, who was without a doubt a complete flirt and good with crowds.

"What's the news," Evangeline said with more happiness in her voice.

"I finished yet again, another journal and was able to decipher the meaning of the poem we couldn't get." Evangeline looked over at her brother with a small smile. "Ange, you don't understand, you know how happy I get when I finish a journal." Nicholas loved to keep journals. He had started when he was fourteen and hadn't stopped. He had hundreds of them, all lined up in order on his giant bookshelves in his study. They were filled with journals of every single day for over five years, something that blew her mind, everyone's really.

"Yes, yes I do," she said giggling. Fern took the dress off, leaving the ivory slip underneath. She helped the princess into her robe and then Evangeline made her way over to the small bookcase she had close to her bed where she kept her favorite books. She pulled out the same copy of _Luminous,_ which was slightly better kept than her brother's but still had been read several times. She opened the page where the poem was and sat next to him.

They talked for a few minutes about the poem as Fern finished cleaning her things. When she excused herself Nicholas asked the question that had been lingering in the air for a while.

"Are you okay?"

"I am, yes. The same as always," Evangeline answered as she got up to put the book back in its place. She had been down for a few days now and Nicholas knew why. She didn't want to marry this guy who seemed to only care about documents and transactions.

"Have you taken your medication?" Her brother asked, he had always been protective over her, even when she was the older one.

"Yes, of course, Nic. Don't worry about me."

"But I do, I have to. You're leaving soon, how am I not going to be able to worry?" Nicholas had been there for the darkest moments of Evangeline's life. The moments where her depression had been insufferable and her anxiety overwhelming. He had seen it all, it was hard for him to forget about it, when he knew his sister was going to be in a new country all alone.

"Fern will come with me," she said as she walked over to her vanity to take off the dangly earrings she had worn to try on with the dress.

"Yes… I know. I wish you weren't leaving. I need you too, you know," he said playing with the corner of the page in his book.

"I know," Evangeline said sadly as she walked over to hug her younger brother. She ruffled his blonde waves, which made him chuckle and hug her back with a sudden level of urgency.

"I'll let you sleep," he said after a while, standing and grabbing his two books. "Tomorrow we can do something fun, maybe get Celine and Lilliana to join or Julian if he isn't too busy."

"I'd like that, thanks little brother," Evangeline said as she walked him over to the door.

"Sleep tight, Ang." Nicholas left, walking into the dark hall. When his sister's door closed he silently made his way down to his room. The moonlight seeped in through the tall windows, it seemed as though the maid that covered this side of the palace had forgotten to close the curtains, but he wasn't complaining. He quite licked the moonlight, after all, it was one of his family's favorite things to do together. They would sometimes go out and sit in the highest tower and look at the stars and the moon for hours. They didn't do it much anymore, his twin brother was too busy these days. He had his selection coming up, something Nicholas could tell his brother didn't like.

Deciding who would get the Selection was simple. Julian was the older one and Nicholas didn't really have a desire to have one, he was content finding love elsewhere. Not to mention, he had been confused about love lately. Couldn't quite put a handle on it.

As Nicholas got closer to his room he saw the friendly figure of his guard, Jack who usually stood by his door. After all the riots that had been going on it was safe to say that Nicholas' parents had demanded security everywhere in the castle. The light outside of his room created a warm glow around the door and Jack.

"You're back, your highness" Jack stated, shifting slightly almost as if moving to block the entrance to the prince's room.

"Yes, I went to see Evangeline," Nicholas said, feeling uneasy. Why did he always feel like this when he spoke to Jack. He didn't have a problem with him, in fact he liked his company and had grown fond of seeing him standing by his room. There were days where he wouldn't show and another guard would take his place. He would get the sense of loneliness and wonder what exactly it was that Jack was doing.

"Is the princess well?" He asked with his deep voice. Jack couldn't deny his feelings for the prince. It was simply too hard. He had considered quitting his job or at least moving to a new post, but the thought of not seeing Prince Nicholas at all troubled him way too much. Besides, he knew his job was to protect the prince, something that he wanted no one else to do.

"Yes, I think she's okay." Nicholas walked up to his door but Jack, without meaning too, moved towards him, blocking the door. Jack watched as Nicholas stiffened and his cheeks grew pink. He hadn't meant to move.

"My apologies, you highness. I don't know why I moved." Jack took a few steps back and tried to stay calm as he gazed into Nicholas' intense stare. He really loved how his pale blue eyes focused on him, making him feel like he was the only one… well technically he was, he _was_ the only one standing in this hallway. Nicholas eventually dropped his gaze and ran his fingers through his hair, a habit that he had. With a quick motion Jack opened the door and allowed for Nicholas to pass through, which he did.

"Goodnight, Prince Nicholas." Jack said before closing the door, leaving the prince with a weird feeling in his stomach. Why had he liked the way Jack said his name? Why had he liked the way it felt to be close to him, to almost pump into him and touch him?

* * *

"Father, look!" Julian snapped dropping the paper with the newest article about himself and the upcoming selection. He had been seen with a girl in the town and even with a disguise the people had recognized him. This girl was a childhood friend for crying out loud. "It's all bullshit." The birds were chirping and there was a breeze coming from outside, all very calm. The opposite of how Julian was feeling at that moment. A maid had just come in with a try of coffee and breakfast for the two men that sat in the office, unable to join their family in the garden.

"Would you stop sipping your coffee and tell me what to do about this!" Julian said impatiently.

"Julian," Jeremy said with a warning tone.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he grumbled.

"You don't do anything, son. You simply wait. The paparazzi are just making fun of this. It's entertainment." Julian rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm not entertainment," he said angrily.

"Yes I know you're not," the king said, picking up a strawberry with his fork.

"When is this Selection starting again?"

"This coming Monday the girls will be able to enter and then the following Friday they will be picked."

"That fast, huh?" Julian wasn't happy. He didn't want this. Finding love this way, to entertain others. He wouldn't even have any privacy, then again he's never had privacy.

"That fast. I know this is scary but it'll all be okay. You just have to remember that. And I know it's hard to believe but you can find love." His parents had found it, but his mother hadn't even been in the Selection so it had been different for his father.

"Whatever." Julian picked up the paper again and looked at the picture of him and Isla. Isla was his mothers friend's daughter, a maid named Sophia who had once worked at the castle. Him and Isla were the same age and them two plus his brother Nicholas had always been the best of friends. Some people thought they were in love but he could never be, although it was hard to believe she just wasn't the girlfriend type. He had always seen her as a sister. Plus, she also had a thing for someone and always loved to gossip, complain, or just update the twins about this mystery man. "I need some air," he mumbled, dropping the paper and walking out.

"Come back soon, we need to continue this," Jeremy mentioned before Julian could fully close the door. The prince walked towards the gardens, happy to be able to spend at least a few minutes outside with his family. When he arrived everyone but Nicholas was sitting at the table. His twin was sitting a few feet away, shoes off, pen and paper out, writing as he sat on a blanket.

"Julian!" Kai, his three year old brother squealed as he came running over. Julian picked him up and swung him around a bit, making the youngest royal giggle and scream. Julian noticed the guards surrounding them, no surprise there.

"Julian, you were able to escape your father?" His mother said with a grin.

"I've got a few minutes," he sighed taking a seat next to his sister Lilliana. She was thirteen, the age where she did nothing but focus on getting older. She had brought her nail polish and was painting her nails as she waited for her breakfast. She had also grown into the habit of copying her older sister Celine, who was the loudest and most 'girliest' girl Julian had ever known. Celine was sixteen and he knew all about her growing love for the cook's son. Mainly because Nicholas and Julian had both decided to hunt the eighteen year old boy down once and warn him about what the consequences would be if he ever hurt their sister. The look of fear on that guy's face was just sad… but the two brothers had laughed all night. Julian had noticed that his sister didn't do a good job of hiding it if she wanted it to be kept a secret. She was currently reading a letter and giggling with Lilliana. "What you reading, Celine?" Julian asked.

"Nothing; Leave me alone, Julian," she said, not even looking up at him. He grinned and turned to see that a maid had come down to take his order. He ordered a plate of scrambled eggs and she left with a bow.

"Did you see the paper this morning, mother?"

"I did, I laughed with your father." Julian scoffed at his mothers words. He couldn't believe how lightly they were taking it. "Whatever," he mumbled again, which caused his mother to giggle. Julian turned to look at his sister Evangeline who was reading silently, while eating blueberries one by one. Evangeline had woken up with a headache this morning, a side effect from all the medication she was forced to take. She had contemplated not leaving her room but decided it would be nice to spend the morning with her family, now that she didn't have many days left to do so.

Across from the princess, Celine kept giggling as she read and reread that letter she held in her hands. Evangeline envied her sister, her sprit and attitude. She wished she could go back to the years of her life where she was the same.

Celine giggled oblivious to her older sister's stare. "Look," she whispered to Lilliana who hovered by her shoulder reading the line again. "' _I would spend my whole life baking for you'_ , he's such a romantic," she whisper-shouted. Celine was the type of girl who loved hiding her emotions, to anyone who wasn't her family that is. She might act crazy around her siblings, but when she came face to face with Sebastian, she was a whole new person. Much like her older brother Nicholas. Celine wasn't ready for a relationship quite yet, or at least that's what her older brothers thought. They thought she was much to young to know the intentions of an eighteen year old young man. But both brothers were wrong to judge Sebastian who was respectful, shy but a hopeless romantic. He was aware of how innocent Princess Celine was and knew he would never harm her. It was a naive romance they had developed and he really did enjoy spending tie with the young princess.

Nevertheless, he had not forgotten to which family she belonged, the royal family, a dangerous group to cross. He had understood that when the princes had popped in one night and terrified him.

"Are you going to see him again," Lilliana asked giddily.

"I suppose," Celine whispered, finally tucking the letter in the pocket of her jumpsuit.

"I wish I had a boyfriend," the younger sister whined a little louder than intended.

"Shhh," Celine said. "He's not my boyfriend, and you will soon." She continued to eat her breakfast with a small smile on her face as she thought of Sebastian possibly becoming her boyfriend.

On the other side of the garden sat Nicholas. He hadn't moved since his brother had arrived and was still writing in his journal. He was writing about his feelings towards Jack, something he had never had to do before. This was scary for him as the words he had suppressed all of last night finally found themselves on the page. How could he have all of a sudden felt attracted to someone and a guy? It wasn't normal. Granted he had felt something for days now. It had all started a couple weeks ago when Jack's hand had brushed by his as he motioned for him to walk into his room. They had shared a look, something much more than just a quick glance to a guard. Nicholas had tried to suppress these feelings, they were wrong. You couldn't like a man? It had always been girls, it was always supposed to be girls.

 _I sit here with my family close behind me, the breeze blowing along side me, and my favorite flowers only inches away and yet I can only seem to think about him. His apologetic gaze last night, the way my name had sounded coming out of his mouth. Was it wrong to want to hear him say my name a thousand times with that sexy voice of_

"Brother," Julian sang right by his brother's ear, plopping himself next to him. Nicholas shut the journal quickly unable to finish his last sentence. "You're blushing, little brother."

"I'm not," Nicholas said looking away, up at the two birds perched on the tree branch.

"What have you been writing?" Nicholas nodded, still not making eye contact with his brother. His heart was beating frantically, he was scared his brother had seen.

"Just about my day," he responded casually. The younger twin peaked at his brother. They shared the same hair color, identical except for their eyes. Nicholas had pale, almost crystal blue eyes, while Julian had light brown eyes. Julian had always envied his brothers eyes. _"You're going to get all the ladies one day,"_ he would always say, making the poor prince blush and become at a loss of words. "I haven't heard from you lately," Nicholas said, now slowly taking the pen out of the journal and capping it.

"The Selection is brutal. I honestly hate it. Would you mind taking my place?" Julian teased, but Nicholas still shook his head seriously.

"Wouldn't want to, I guess I'm lucky I came out second."

"I can't disagree," Julian mumbled, making Nicholas chuckle. "Well, got to get back to father before he comes here and murders me." Julian said as he got up. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Nicholas called out as he once again opened his journal and got back to his secretive writing.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1 of the second story. I'm so happy I get to share this with all you Selection fans! I hope you like the first chapter, don't forget to comment because those always help me with my writing. Also don't forget to submit characters for the Selection. In the update I posted yesterday I said to submit only under PM, but for guests or if it's just easier you can submit under the comments. Next chapter I will introduce Katelyn and Leo and their kids so stay tuned.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it! -Bella**


	3. Occhi Stupendi - Beautiful Eyes

**Hey guys, don't forget to submit some characters for the SYOC Selection, thanks! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 2

Twenty years it had been and yet Katelyn felt as though no time had passed since she had married this amazing man and had her wonderful kids. Amedeo and Ada had grown into lovely children, inspiring her everyday to continue the project she had planned so long ago. She had built an orphanage that now housed over 300 children that had no homes, something that blew Katelyn's mind. It always saddened her to know that so many children were without homes in the country of Italy, but she knew that now they were okay and safe and that's what mattered. Recently Katelyn and Leo were working on a new project, they were building a new 'orphanage', a home for adults, where they could stay until they got back on their feet. Katelyn and Leo had decided to create a way for these people to have access to jobs so they could grow and improve the lives that they lived. All in all the king and queen were pleased by the progress that they had done for their country.

They were also pleased with the family they had, Angelo, their seventeen year old son, and their unexpected daughter, Alaina, who was now six. As it turned out Katelyn had trouble having kids for a while. The doctors tried several things before she finally got pregnant with Angelo. Alaina, however, was completely unexpected, a gift from God. Katelyn was satisfied though. Although she would have liked to have more kids, two was more than enough and she was happy to have even been able to have them at all. And of course, she was able to raise the wonderful siblings, Ada and Amedeo.

As happy as they were, Katelyn and Leo suffered a great deal of stress and anger caused by their son Angelo. He had grown up to be arrogant, a lady's man, and one could definitely say he couldn't care less about the crown or being king. Angelo's parents tried several things to get him to change his character, but the stubborn boy had chosen the wrong path. Leo foresaw him changing eventually, but poor Katelyn worried day and night that their son was never going to change. Their problem now was, who would be king? Angelo was the rightful heir, but Amedeo had been first, even though not completely royal. Amedeo didn't want the crown, he didn't feel that it belonged to him, he new that it was rightfully Angelo's, but due to the fact that Katelyn confided in him, he knew about Angelo's thoughts and behaviors towards it. _"He'll grow out of it,"_ he would always tell his mother, _"Don't worry."_

Having Amedeo and Ada around was amazing for both Katelyn and Leo. They were wonderful children, valued everything they had and were the kindest and most respectful to everyone. Both of them had grown up learning all kinds of royal-like duties. They were now fluent in English, something both Leo and Katelyn thought was necessary. Both children still couldn't believe the lives they now lived and now and then thanked the king and queen for changing their lives forever. Although, the queen hated feeling this way, she often thought that it would be nice if Angelo had turned out to be more like them.

Their seventeen year old son now stood in his study, with a girl locked between his body and the wall, a common sight. Angelo had quiet the reputation for hooking up with many of the maids in the palace. They'd kiss here and there, hiding behind doors and running through hallways, all play for the young prince. Of course, all maids threw themselves at him, which didn't help him improve his behavior at all. His mother had threatened removing all female maids from the palace once, which had made him laugh for a while.

The young girl of sixteen moaned as Angelo continued his kisses down her neck. He truly loved women, he would never stop denying it. She giggled as he repeated the words "gorgeous" over and over again. He knew exactly how to get them in his arms, it was plainly obvious. He straightened up to look at this girl, who had short and straight blonde hair, clipped at the side. Her lipstick was smeared and it now dawned on him that he was going to have to make a trip to the bathroom before he did anything else.

"Voglio fare di più che baciare, vostra altezza (I want to do more than just kiss, your high highness)," the girl said, biting her lip. Angelo looked at her, grinning. Did he mention he loved women?

"Non ancora, mia Francesca (Not just yet, my Francesca)," he whispered by her ear making her shiver and draw closer to him. He kissed her lips deeply as his hands wondered around her body, making her moan again. As they kissed they heard a knock, one that Angelo chose to ignore until the person knocked for a third time.

Annoyed and wiping his lips he answered. "Yes?"

"Il re e la regina desiderano vederti (The king and queen wish to see you)," his personal guard said to him.

"Whatever," Angelo groaned, turning away.

"Now, Angelo," the guard said seriously. His name was Alessandro. He had been Angelo's personal guard since the prince was three and he had seen the boy spiral out of control into the man he was today, something he wanted to desperately try and change, just like the prince's parents.

"God, fine!" He looked over at Francesca and waved her out of the room and then left, following Alessandro. "You come at the worst times, you know?" His guard grunted in response, choosing to stay silent.

When they got to Leo's study both men entered. Angelo sauntered in and fell onto the love seat, placing a pillow over his head so that the ray of sun seeping through the window wouldn't hit his face. "You called?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Sit up," his father said seriously. Angelo didn't at first, but when his father finally cleared his thought he did. "We need to talk to you about your duties." Angelo had finally noticed Amedeo who was sitting in front of him.

"Why?"

"Because, you are to be ruler of this country. A country for crying out loud! How long is it going to take for you to realize the importance of this job?"

"A while," Angelo mumbled.

"Well, snap out of this… act you've put on," his father said, slightly angered.

"Just give the title to Amedeo, he'd make a way better king anyway."

"I don't want this title, Angelo," Amedeo said, his voice soft compared to his father's. "It doesn't belong to me."

"It can though, you came before me. It doesn't matter if you're royalty or not."

The room was silent for a while until Leo spoke again. "Training will begin. Your mother and I have had it with you and your insolent behavior."

"You can't make me train," Angelo said, his voice growing louder.

Leo laughed and shook his head, "I can, son."

Angelo glared at his father. His eyes flickered to his mother who sat next to Angelo. He hated how he was her favorite. He wasn't even her real son, not like him. Angelo got up and walked towards the door and Leo got up too, his voice loud now.

"Come back!"

"You said training would start as in, in the future, therefore this meeting is done," Angelo said, his head slightly turned towards his family behind him.

"Fine…" His father said and Angelo opened the door and took a step out. "Go wipe the lipstick off your damn face," he heard his father say before he could fully run off.

* * *

The two sisters sat in the foyer waiting for the young prince to meet them. It had been a few days since the conversation Angelo had had with his parents and his father was ignoring him for reasons he did not know. Sure he had been a jerk, but he was always like that when it came to discussing his future as king.

Ada and Alaina had decided to take their brother to town, knowing that going to his favorite bakery and visiting his animal shelter would bring his spirits up. When Angelo was fourteen he decided that he would open an animal shelter, a hospital for all the dogs and cats that roamed the streets. For a few months he went out, rescuing them himself, but eventually he got too busy with unwanted lessons and stopped going out. He would occasionally visit, checking in with the animals and looking at the stats, how many came in and how many were sold. Obviously, Angelo was in love with animals, something that drove his parents crazy due to the fact that he would always show up with strays when he was little. Angelo had about fifteen dogs and ten cats that roamed the palace. Of course, he didn't take care of them constantly and they were fed by the maids regularly. _"Take responsibility for those animals if you want them to stay,"_ his father would always say, which Angelo hated. He just wasn't as free as he used to be.

Today he was taking Fox, his beagle, to town. He was everyone's favorite, small, and a puppy, he ran around excitedly, smelling everything, his ears flopping around making him even cuter. One of the reasons he loved showing him off was because it got him all the ladies.

"Finally, you take forever," the five year old princess wined when she saw her older brother come walking through a door holding Fox in his arm and the leash on the other. Fox was squirming, trying really hard to get away from Angelo's grasp so he could embark on his journey outside the castle.

"I had to get Fox," he said, putting the dog down and spending a few seconds trying to attack the leash to his collar. "Let's go," he said getting up and walking towards the girls who were now standing.

"Good morning, Angelo," Ada said softly, walking through the open doors toward the front garden.

"Good morning, how did you sleep last night?"

"Fine, fine. And you?"

"Good, how is she?" Angelo was now looking at Ada's pregnant stomach. Ada had gotten married to a prince from a small kingdom in France a year ago. They had met at a ball thrown by Leo and Katelyn and had fallen in love almost instantly, which made most people question their relationship, but it didn't stopped them or change their feelings for each other. Ada was now five months pregnant, making Katelyn and Leo very excited to be grandparents.

"She's good, kicking a lot though," She responded grinning as she rubbed a spot by her ribs.

They continued walking towards the black car barked in front of the large fountain in the middle of the roundabout. It was a bright morning for the middle of February, the sun was shining hard on their backs, making Angelo want to take his jacket off.

"Come on, puppy," Alaina said reaching to pick up the tiny dog and put him in the car. He parked at the birds that flew above them and continued to look out the window once they started driving. He was sitting on her lap, with his paws on the window, his tongue dangling. Angelo smiled, remembering how much he loved animals.

The drive was a silent one, except for the mews that came from Fox who kept twirling around everywhere. Eventually Angelo had to grab him and force him to stay still on his lap for the last part of the drive.

Town was quiet today, there were few people walking around, probably because it was a Tuesday morning, a working day. The prince and his siblings got out of the car and made there way to their favorite bakery, _Panificio Charlies, Facciamo Tutto,_ where they sold everything anyone could ever want, not to mention that the pastries were absolutely amazing. No chef in the palace could ever top the treats found at this place.

"Good morning," said a voice, hidden behind a stack of boxes when they walked in. Fox barked, bouncing around and sniffing away at the warm sent of freshly baked bread. "How can I help you?" A girl appeared, she looked rather bored as if she didn't like working there. Angelo noticed her eyes at once, they were big and bright green, they almost glowed like gems. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a long braid that suited her small face. Angelo found himself looking at her body, petite yet curvy, not fat nor skinny and honestly, beautiful. He grinned, looking directly at her, she however stared at him with an eyebrow raised, clearly realizing what he was doing. A piece of her wavy hair fell over her face and he had the urge to draw it behind her ear and kiss her. Her lips, they looked irresistible. 

"Can I help you?" she asked again, looking more so at him than the rest.

"Yes," he said smoothly, "You definitely can," he was grinning and she started to glare at him. She looked over at Ada and then down at Alaina and smiled. "Can I offer you anything?"

"I want the croissant!" Alaina squealed heading over to the window where they were displayed, all looking fresh and shiny with a coat of sugar and butter.

"Can we get half a dozen croissants, another half a dozen biscotti, four cannoli, four bombolone, and four pignolata please," Ada said, rubbing her stomach as she did so. The girl smiled at her and got busy filling the boxes. She kept glancing at Angelo who hadn't stopped looking at her. She had to admit that he was good looking, but the fact that he kept ogling her was a serious turn off. She had also noticed Fox who kept running around the room looking adorable. She wanted to go over and pet him but she didn't want to give the young man that satisfaction who kept staring at the dog knowingly.

"Are you new around here?" Angelo asked taking a step towards her.

"I got back from Illea a few days ago, but I'm Italian. I was only studying there," she responded, sealing the styrofoam boxes and handing them to his older sister.

"Ah interesting, did you like it? My family is from there, mother and cousins."

"Yes it was very pretty." She turned around towards the cash register.

"What province did you go to?"

"Angeles."

"Funny, my family lives there."

"Okay," she said turning towards him and looking at him with an annoyed look as she handing a few bills to Ada. "Is it okay if he leaves, he's bothering me," the girl said casually to Ada who couldn't help but smirk.

"Now, now, let's show some respect here, I mean I am the future king of Italy," Angelo said slightly shocked but also amused.

The girl's eyes widened slightly and turned to the girls, realizing now who she'd met. "I apologize, I have been gone for so long that it just slipped my mind, I guess" she said to the two princesses, ignoring the young prince next to her. Ada chuckled and swatted the air. "It's not a problem."

"Well, regardless, I'm sorry, your highness," she said bowing.

"What's your name?" Angelo asked out of the blue, making the girl turn suddenly, almost like she had forgotten that he was there.

"My name is Mia," she said softly, turning away from him again.

"That's a beautiful name," he responded sounding rather flirty.

"Stop, I don't want to be another girl on your list, alright?" Angelo now realized that they were alone seeing as though his two sisters were getting into car right outside.

"I-"

"You might be the prince, but I've heard about you, going from girl to girl like they're nothing, showing them off like objects. I don't want to get lured into your games, okay?" Mia was pointing a finger at him, leaning forward and looking angry, but through it all Angelo couldn't help but be mesmerized by her glowing eyes.

He brought his hands up in surrender, Fox's leash in between his fingers. "Fair enough," he took a few steps backwards, grinning at her. His hand reached for the door handle and turned it, cracking it open. "To be fair though, I have never seen a girl with such beautiful eyes," he lingered, staring right at her. "You can kill a guy with that stare of yours," he added softly and he left, grinning down at the ground. He was definitely coming back.

* * *

 **Hello Readers!**

 **New chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave a comment telling me your thoughts. Thank you :)**

 **-Bella**


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